It's just confidence right now. Of course Richards starts getting some back and the rest of the team is losing it. The past couple of games were jokes and completely broke the Ranger's confidence down. Next game, don't just come out flying, come out hitting ****ing everything. Hit everyone in site and throw the other team off their axis. Then grab a goal and start building some confidence back. This is a good team with the capability of doing great things, they just need confidence and a way to control the momentum of the game.

It's not the coach, not the GM, it's the players. They have it in them to win, they're just shaken up right now.

It's just confidence right now. Of course Richards starts getting some back and the rest of the team is losing it. The past couple of games were jokes and completely broke the Ranger's confidence down. Next game, don't just come out flying, come out hitting ****ing everything. Hit everyone in site and throw the other team off their axis. Then grab a goal and start building some confidence back. This is a good team with the capability of doing great things, they just need confidence and a way to control the momentum of the game.

It's not the coach, not the GM, it's the players. They have it in them to win, they're just shaken up right now.

The 9-2 drubbing should have inspired them to do that. Instead they brought more of the same to the rink. If that doesn't set off huge red flags about the team's character and preparedness I don't know what will.

__________________
"Here we can see the agression of american people. They love fighting and guns. when they wont win they try to kill us all." -HalfOfFame

The 9-2 drubbing should have inspired them to do that. Instead they brought more of the same to the rink. If that doesn't set off huge red flags about the team's character and preparedness I don't know what will.

The 9-2 drubbing should have inspired them to do that. Instead they brought more of the same to the rink. If that doesn't set off huge red flags about the team's character and preparedness I don't know what will.

I agree. We have probably one of the most mentally weak teams in the NHL right now. I say we make some call ups and sit some guys and get some fresh legs out there. We need to change the mentality of this team. Give Kredier, Miller, Fast, Hrivik some top 6 minutes and try to see if they can show that they have something to prove. We might be pleasantly surprised.

I don't get why they still do the Torts thing of moving the puck up close to the boards, and the instant you get a tiny little bit of resistance, just dump the puck. People need to move more going out of our own zone.

Holy ****, are we really still dealing with this?

Because it was not a "Torts thing."

Dumping the puck is a part of the game. Every team does it. Every player does it at one point or another. You are out there playing against another team. Sometimes that other team matches up with you defensively and forces you into a position where you don't have any other good option but to dump the puck into the zone. You want to see what happens when they don't dump the puck in those situations or try to force a play? See: turnovers in the neutral zone the last two games. Yea, worked out brilliantly.

This is not a video game where you can just push the speed burst button and skate circles around other players or pass the puck through 5 bodies.

That said, the Rangers really don't dump the puck a gajillion times more in a game than other teams do. Perhaps a bit, but not overwhelmingly so. And any marginal amount more that they do it is not a system thing. It is not a Torts thing. It is a product of not having players who are offensively skilled or creative enough to be able to carry the puck into the zone consistently. This **** is not hard to understand.

Dumping the puck is a part of the game. Every team does it. Every player does it at one point or another. You are out there playing against another team. Sometimes that other team matches up with you defensively and forces you into a position where you don't have any other good option but to dump the puck into the zone. You want to see what happens when they don't dump the puck in those situations or try to force a play? See: turnovers in the neutral zone the last two games. Yea, worked out brilliantly.

This is not a video game where you can just push the speed burst button and skate circles around other players or pass the puck through 5 bodies.

That said, the Rangers really don't dump the puck a gajillion times more in a game than other teams do. Perhaps a bit, but not overwhelmingly so. And any marginal amount more that they do it is not a system thing. It is not a Torts thing. It is a product of not having players who are offensively skilled or creative enough to be able to carry the puck into the zone consistently. This **** is not hard to understand.

I would like to know who thought the Banff Follies along with 4 games in 5 nights was a good idea after bringing in a new coach and system?

As someone who lives in Charlotte (Eastern Time), and has a professional career that requires a normal work day, I have seen exactly one game (preseason vs. Philadelphia), and parts of two periods of the four regular season games. I couldn't hope to make any comments about the team's play. I think this whole schedule is beyond ridiculous, and I don't blame the NHL, I blame Garden management for just having to put in stupid "bridges" and other completely unnecessary garbage in the Garden.

There is no doubt in my mind that being on the road for the past three to four weeks, trying to learn a new system and integrate new players is not working out very well. This thing could put the Rangers so far behind that they're not going to catch back up, and that's not on anyone except for Dolan and the other jerks who run MSG. Amazing how the renovation schedule doesn't **** with the Knicks...

I'll also add that they look out of shape. To a man, the game seems too fast for them.

A sign of poor conditioning too is them being tired in SJ. Sorry, you shouldn't be that kind of tired the second week of the season.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PuqTalk

I just have to say, I love the roster and playing style you guys had before the Nash trade and AV hire. Oddly enough, even as a big Flyers fan, I've always had a soft spot for this team. That being said, I'm really sorry that you guys have to endure AV.

I'm not sure what the hell Sather was thinking hiring a coach that has choked so much with what I'd call an excellent (while still soft) roster in Vancouver. But luckily you guys still have some great players, it's just a matter of getting rid of the things that don't work. Hopefully you guys turn it around.

Interesting that one of the hardest working teams in the league needed "reprogramming".

The below quote is more interesting:

Previous head coach John Tortorella’s system emphasized full-blooded, gritty efforts night after night. While his style proved to be effective and frustrating for opponents, it did not allow star players to display their natural creativity.

And this is the problem. There players are not creative enough to matter.

And yes. Sort of troubling that one of the hardest working teams needs to be reprogrammed.

I'm not jumping off any bridges or writing the team off. I'm a fan of the Rangers - not the current roster exclusively, but the Rangers historically - and just as in the past when the Rangers have been a truly bad hockey team, I still root for them because this is my team and that's what I do.

So, when I criticize or hypothesize what's going on with this incarnation of the Rangers it doesn't mean I stopped being a fan or am "getting off" the train. It just means these are my thoughts about the current team. I'm still here, watching every game and hoping for the best.

That said, I don't believe this team's issues will be resolved by having time to "gel", "learn the system", "develop chemistry", "adjust to a new coach", "get back home", "adjust to playing defense differently" or "get their game legs". I also don't believe that "it will even out" and that we'd "rather get blown out now than later in the year". Personally, I believe we're witnessing a melt down that none of those quotations can cover up or explain away. I think we're witnessing a melt down that will, ultimately, lead to drastic changes in the makeup of the team. I just simply cannot wrap my head around these past two performances, even in a vacuum, in any way that makes sense. When put in context, it just makes even less sense.

I don't believe they will bounce back from this. I believe they've shown their hand and that all of the "gelling" and "adjusting" in the world can't bridge the chasm between the hockey that needs to be played and the hockey we've just witnessed. Of course, I know they will have better games than these past two (it would be impossible not to). I am flat-out expecting a win against St. Louis, if for no other reason than the undeniable fact that if this team doesn't come back with a vengeance after the last two performances it is another huge red flag. But even if we win our next game and we avoid allowing 6 goals again for the next month, I don't think that this team has the constitution to post a winning record this season.

My faith in the individuals that are dressing for our hockey team has been very much diminished and it's going to take a lot more than a win or two to restore any of it. And that's assuming we don't repeat ourselves in St. Louis tomorrow.

Previous head coach John Tortorella’s system emphasized full-blooded, gritty efforts night after night. While his style proved to be effective and frustrating for opponents, it did not allow star players to display their natural creativity.

And this is the problem. There players are not creative enough to matter.

And yes. Sort of troubling that one of the hardest working teams needs to be reprogrammed.

I really don't want to come in here and start anything, but I always found that to be a large misnomer of Tortorella. I can't think of a player on the Rangers who I thought he was holding back offensively. Gaborik, (when healthy) Nash, Brassard, Callahan, and Stepan have all had excellent seasons (or half seasons) under Tortorella. I don't see who he was ever holding back.

This, to me, is the biggest thing here. This wasn't the blowout. This was supposed to be the RESPONSE to the blowout. If you respond to a 9-2 shellacking with a 6-0 drubbing, what's next? This game was supposed to be the push-back. The "hey, wait a minute, we are NOT that team that just lost 9-2". Instead we saw the "yep, we're exactly that team; it wasn't a fluke". That's what's really eating me up. It was supposed to be that game where, no matter how good the opponent is, you hang tough because you HAVE TO prove something.

I'm not jumping off any bridges or writing the team off. I'm a fan of the Rangers - not the current roster exclusively, but the Rangers historically - and just as in the past when the Rangers have been a truly bad hockey team, I still root for them because this is my team and that's what I do.

So, when I criticize or hypothesize what's going on with this incarnation of the Rangers it doesn't mean I stopped being a fan or am "getting off" the train. It just means these are my thoughts about the current team. I'm still here, watching every game and hoping for the best.

That said, I don't believe this team's issues will be resolved by having time to "gel", "learn the system", "develop chemistry", "adjust to a new coach", "get back home", "adjust to playing defense differently" or "get their game legs". I also don't believe that "it will even out" and that we'd "rather get blown out now than later in the year". Personally, I believe we're witnessing a melt down that none of those quotations can cover up or explain away. I think we're witnessing a melt down that will, ultimately, lead to drastic changes in the makeup of the team. I just simply cannot wrap my head around these past two performances, even in a vacuum, in any way that makes sense. When put in context, it just makes even less sense.

I don't believe they will bounce back from this. I believe they've shown their hand and that all of the "gelling" and "adjusting" in the world can't bridge the chasm between the hockey that needs to be played and the hockey we've just witnessed. Of course, I know they will have better games than these past two (it would be impossible not to). I am flat-out expecting a win against St. Louis, if for no other reason than the undeniable fact that if this team doesn't come back with a vengeance after the last two performances it is another huge red flag. But even if we win our next game and we avoid allowing 6 goals again for the next month, I don't think that this team has the constitution to post a winning record this season.

My faith in the individuals that are dressing for our hockey team has been very much diminished and it's going to take a lot more than a win or two to restore any of it. And that's assuming we don't repeat ourselves in St. Louis tomorrow.

Unfortunately, I couldn't agree more. I just don't like how this team is currently constructed, but these are my opinions. I know there are plenty of people that see it the other way but Sather messed up beginning with the Nash trade. Nothing against Nash though.

I just simply cannot wrap my head around these past two performances, even in a vacuum, in any way that makes sense. When put in context, it just makes even less sense.

Im just as baffled as you. The Rangers, for the most part, have the same team as last year. How they could look so putrid is beyond me. Blame the system or coach or whatever, they just looked like bad hockey players the past two games. It makes no sense.